Automobile torpedo



W. H. SODEAU AND V. P. FRANCOMBE.

AUTOMOBILE TORPEDO.

APPLICATION FILED 0915, 1921.

1,401,288. Patented Dec. 27, 1921.

Jf 5371 ggf/jj yEZIETZSQ-EET I. 174%! :MI l,

\ \\lI II W. H. SODEAU AND V. P. FRANCOIVIBE.

AUTOMOBILE TORPEDO.

APPLICATxoN FILED ocT.5.1921.

1,401,288.` Patented Dec. 27, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W. H. SODEAU AND V. P. FRANCOMBE.

AUTOMOBILE TORPEDO.

APPLIQATIQN FILED OCT. 5. i921.

1,401,288. Patented Dec. 27, 1921.

` 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 www@ wwwfwwwwf gwwwwawf www 03a GW, OW, MNM g mtv wILLrAM HORACE sODEAU AND VICTORY runny FRANOOMBE, or s'i. TROPEZ, VAR FRANCE, AssIeNOEs 'ro THE WHITEHEAD 'rORPEnO WORKS (WEYMOUTH) Lrivi rrEn, (IN LIQUIDATION), OE WEYMOUTE, ENGLAND, A Bairrsi-r COMPANY.

A'UTGMOBILE TORPEDO.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 27 1921 Application led October 5, 1921.

i,ioi,2ss.

Serial N0. 505,671.

To all wko-m z'z may concern:

Be it known that we, 1WILLIAM HORACE SODEAU and Vioronr PURDY FRANCOMBE, bot-h subjects of the King oi Great Britain, and both residing at 5t. Tropez, (Var) France, have invented certain new and usei'ul 'Improvements lin or Relating to Automobile Torpedoes, of which the following is a specification. l

This invention relates to automobile torpedoes and has for its chierl object to provide an improved device tor insuring that the torpedo shall acquire ample positive buoyancy at the end of a practice run, so that it may be readily picked up. Such devices have become necessary on account of the great negative buoyancy possessed byA modern torpedoes coupled with the desirability of making practice shots under the same conditions of trim and buoyancy asv those obtaining in war shots, which necessitates the use ot an exercising or practice head ot' the same weight as the war head.

lt is customary to employ a practice head lilled with water or other liquid, herein called the ballast, which is ejected or blown out after the conclusion of the run by means of compressed air or other cas, herein referred to as air. Y ln the known methods the air for blowing out the ballast is released on the fulfilment ot some predetermined condition such as (a) the decrease ot Ithe pressure produced on a member by the movement ot the torpedo through the water, or (b) the attainment ot a certain pressure on a hydrostatic valve or the like due to the torpedo sinking toa depth which necessarily must markedly exceed its normal running depth. Known devices based upon the first condition mentioned are liable to blow out the ballast in the event of the torpedo breaking surface7 and are diticult to adjust satisfactorily in the case of a torpedo which can be so set as to be shot at more than one speed, inasmuch as if the device operates satisfactorily at a low speed it is apt to act too late at high speeds so that the torpedov may strike the bottom before the ballast has f begun to be blown out; devices based upon the second condition mentioned are apt to blow out the ballast during the initial drive of the torpedo and to fail to actin the event of the shot terminating in water ot insuiiicient depth.

I running depth of the torpedo.

According to the present invention we provide means for effecting the change from negative buoyancy to positive buoyancy only when two distinct conditions based upon the speed1 and depth of the torpedo occur at one and the same time, e. g. only when the pressure produced on a member by the movenient or the torpedo has fallen below a predetermined limit (which limit may, it desired, be made to vary automatically or otherwise according to the speed at which the torpedo runs in any given shot) and when, simultaneously, the depth of the torpedo is not less than a'predetermined amount which is hereinafter termed the blowing depth and which is preferably less than the normal For this purpose the release valve for the air used to blow out the ballast is placed under the dual control of the aforesaid pressure operated member and a hydrostatic valve or its equivalent in such a manner that neither the movement of the said member that occurs when the pressure to which it is subjected falls below the predetermined limit (this resulting either from a diminution in the speed of the torpedo or from the torpedo breaking sur- :tace nor the movement of the hydrostatic valve that occurs when the torpedo sinks below the predetermined lblowing depth, will by itself open the air release valve, this opening taking place only when the effects of both the said movements occur at the saine time. The pressure operated member affected by the motion of the torpedo through the water may conveniently take the well known form of one orvmore whiskers, lpivoted flaps or sliding plates arranged so as to be pressed back, against the force exerted by an appropriate spring or springs, to an extent depending on the velocity of the torpedo through the water. After the said spring has been compressed, extended or otherwise energized to a predetermined extent, the improved arrangement (herein termed the pistol) becomes cocked so that during the subsequent denergization oi the spring owing to the reduction et the pressure on the 'said member, the said spring carries forward a spindle or the like which is adapted to become mechanically connected to the air release valve preferably by means of a ratchet or rack member or similar device arranged so that the iirst tooth can be engaged in consequence of the travel produced in a low speed shot whereas shots at high speeds produce engagement farther along so that the final cooking takes place under conditions approximating t-o 'the maximum speed in the particular shot; in this manner a moderate reduction of speed causes the valve to be actuated thereby avoiding undue postponement of the blowing of the ballast. As already seen, a pistol of the above nature would cause the ballast to be blown on the torpedo breaking surface. Attempts have been made to prevent this by means of delay arrangements, e. g., an oil bottle inserted between the air bottle and the air release valve so that a quantity of oil must be forced through a small passage before the air can be released. This expedient has, however, proved unsatisfactory as the delay is relatively short unless the passage is reduced to a point at which it causes undesirable delay in emptying the head. We therefore* connect the'pistol to the air release valve in conjunction with the hydrostatic valve in such a way that no blowing of the ballast can take place unless the torpedo is submerged to at least a predetermined blowing depth. On the other hand the hydrostatic valve cannot cause the ballast to be blown without the cooperation of the pistol.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect the same will vbe more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawin s, in which f `igures l, 2 and 3 are sectional side elevations showing more or less diagrammatically (and in three different positions hereinafter referred to) one form of our improvements.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are views similar to Figs. l, 2 and 3 showing another form of our improvements. Y

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are sections showing diagrammatically certain parts of Figs. 4, 5 and 6 in different positlons hereinafter referred to, and

Figs. l0 and l1 are sectional side elevations showing two further forms of our improvements. A l

In the variousv figures of the drawings A is the shell of the practice head of the torpedo, A is the air reservoir arranged in the head and A2 is the air release valve which, when moved from its seat, admits compressed air from the air reservoir A into the head through the port 0,2 to discharge the liquid ballast therefrom in the known manner. In the examples shown an oil bottle or chamber a is disposed between the air reservoir A and the valve A2 as is well understood for the purpose of preventing leakage of air from the said reservoir. B is the aforesaid pressure operated member affected by the motion of the torpedoy through the water, this member in Figs. .1,

valve .which element may consist of a fieX- V ible diaphragm (Figs. 1 to 6 and l0) or a piston (Fig. l1) which in either case closes a chamber C and is subjected on one side to the pressure of the external water and on the other side to the pressure of a spring C2 and of the air confined in the chamber C as in the customary forms of hydrostatic valve used in the depth-keeping mechanism of torpedoes. Y

Referring to Figs. l to 8, the sliding plate B has a rod b suitably guided in fixed disks b', b and provided with rack teeth b2, b2 with which a spring controlled pawl B2is adapted to engage. The said pawl and rod (together with their associated parts) constitute the aforesaid pistol The rear end of the pawl B2 is pivoted to the upper end of a floating lever B*l the lower end of which is adapted to operate, through a two armed .lever B4, on thestem of the aforesaid valve A2. The said floating lever B3 Vis pivotcd at b3 to av rod CX moving with the aforesaid flexible diaphragm C and this lever and the upper arm of the lever B* are disposed in a chamber which is open at its upperV end to the external water, the lower arm of the lever B1 being situated outside this chamber and connected to the upper arm by an axis pin which passes through a gland bearing in one of the side walls of the chamber b". When the torpedo has been launched one or other of the rack teeth b2, b2 (depending upon the pressure of the water on the plate B which pressure in turn depends on the speed of the torpedo) will engage with the pawl B2 as shown and the diaphragm C of the hydrostatic valve will be pressed inward, this being the position shown by Fig. l. When the torpedo breaks surface the spring of the plate B w'illmove the latter forward carrying with it the pawl B2. The diaphragm C of the hydrostatic valve will at the same time move outward, with the result that the floating lever B3 will occupy the position shown by Fig. 2.V If when the torpedo is running ata depth not less than the aforesaid blowing depth (which corresponds to a position of the disk C at some predetermined point betwen the positions it occupies in Figs. 1 and 2) the plate B should move forward as a result of the diminution in speed which occurs near the end of the run7 the floating lever Bs will be moved into the position shown by Fig. 3 and operates to open they valve A? to admit air from the reservoir A into the head as aforesaid. The movements of the floating lever B3 are limvent rearward movement of the latter.

In the construction shown by Figs. 4 to 6, the lever B3 instead of being floating and pivoted to the rod CX moving with the diaphragm C of the hydrostatic valve, is pivoted at a fixed point b3 and is disposed between the said rod CX and a plunger or other member b which corresponds to the rod Z9 of Figs. 1 to 3. In this arrangement the force exerted by the spring C2 of the hydrostatic valve isopposed by the force exerted by the plunger b (which is suitably interconnected in the manner described later, with the flap B operated by the pressure of the water during the passage of the torpedo therethrough) so that the said plunger cannot operate the levers B3 and B* to move the valve A2 from its seat unless there is a certain pressure namely that obtaining at the aforesaid blowing depth) acting on the hydrostatic valve to wholly or partially counteract the eiiect of the spring C2 and move the rod CX clear of the lever.B3 as shown by Fig. 6. Figs. 4,5 and 6 show the various parts of this arrangement in the position they occupy `-under conditions similar to those described with reference to Figs. l, 2 and 3 respectively. The flap B may be sliding as it may be pivoted at its inner end.

In Figs. 7, 8 and 9 which show the connections between the flap B and the member o of Figs. 4, 5 and'6 the flap is pivoted and is connected to a sleeve B5 disposed in a fixed casing B6 with a compression spring b interposed. VThis vsleeve B5 has a transverse partition b5 having a slot through which a plate o7 on the rod of the member Z) can pass when the rod is turned to bring the plate into coincidence with the said slot. The upper end of the said rod hasa head b2 by which it can be angularly displaced against the resistance of a torsion spring BS. In operation the arrangement Works as follows Assuming the parts to be in the position shown in Fig. 9 which they occupy at the end of a run, they are re-set by turning the head bs against the resistance of the torsion spring BS (which is under compression) untilthe plate 67 registers with the slot in the partition b5, whereupon the said spring moves the plate 67 and the parts connected thereto into the position shown by Fig. 7 ready for the next run. During the run the flap B is forced back into the position shown in Fig. 8, thereby raising the sleeve B5, compressing the spring bf and moving the partition b5 so that its slot comes clear of the plate bl which is then angularly displaced by the'torsion spring B8 into the position shown by Fig. 8 in which the said plate bears against the under side of the partition b5; during this operation the member b is prevented from following the sleeve B5 owing to the fact that the said member bears against the casing B2. When the tor.

pedo stops the parts willl occupy the position shown by Fig. 9 in which the member has been forced downward to operate the lever B3 of Figs. 4, 5 and 6 and so open the valve A2 as aforesaid.

In the construction shown by Fig. 10 the arrangement of the pistol is similar to that of Figs. 1 to 3 eXcept that the rod b provided with the rack teeth b2, b2 is pivotally connected to the plate B and is forced into engagement with the part BX of the member B2 by a spring B2x on the latter. In this construction the rod CX of the hydrostatic valve operates to rock the member B2 about its pivotal connection with a link Z22* (which is pivotally connected to a lever B3 operating upon the valve A2) so as to bring a projection BO on this member in liney with and behind a stop-piece AO when the torpedo is running at less than its blowing depth. In this condition of affairs the valve A2 cannot be opened in the event of the torpedo breaking surface. In an alternative arrangement the rod CX instead of operating on the member B2, might operate upon a movable stop to displace the latter into and out of the path of a projection on the said member in accordance with the depth at which the torpedo is running.

In the construction shown by Fig. 1l the arrangement of the pistol is similar to that of Figs. l to 3, but the rod CX of the hydrostatic valve operates to uncock the pistol (z'. e. to temporarily disconnect the pawl B2 from the rod Zn) when the torpedo is running at less than its blowing depth. For this purpose the rod Cx is connected as shown to the pawl B2 through the intermediary of a spring bo controlling the pawl.

ln the forms of pistol herein described the position of the pawl B2 (or its equivalent) and the rack member b may be reversed; alternatively the part B2 may be in the form of a rack member the teeth of lvhicbh engage with those of the rack mem- We wish it to be understood that we do not desire to limit the herein described pistols to their employment in conjunction with the hydrostatic valve (or its equivalent) as the former may be used without the latter in cases where the blowing out of the ballast is wished to be made dependent only on a reduction in the speed of the torpedo;

also that we do not desire to limit the herein described invention to the employment Vof the pistolshereinbefore described aspistols of other constructions, if desired, Vmay be used. l

)Ve also wish it to be understood'that although the invention has been described in its application to the'method of changing the negative buoyancy to positive buoyancy by blowing out liquid ballast it can if desired be employed in conjunction with other methods such as that involving the release of solid ballast (in which case the air release valve would be replaced by one or more catches or other suitable releasing means) and that involving the use of an extensible or ltelescopic head in which case the air release valve would be used in conjunction with suitablecatches or the like.

A device which causes the conversion from negative buoyancy to positive buoyancy to occur after the lapse of a given time, c. g. one actuated by clock work or one coming into action after a plug of salammoniac or other soluble material has become dissolved, may be employed in conjunction with the above described arrangements in order to insure the filial flotation of the torpedo in the event of the other arrangements becoming damaged or inoperative.

What we claim and V,desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is l. In an automobile torpedo, the combination with means for changing from normal negative buoyancy to positive buoyancy at the end of a practice run, of means whereby said'change is permitted to occur only when two distinct conditions based upon the speed and depth of the torpedo eXist at one and the same time. n y

2. In an automobile torpedo, the combinationV with means for changing from normal negative buoyancy to positive buoyancy at the end of a practice run, of a device movable under the influence of the speed of the torpedo during the run, av device movable under the infiuence of the depth of the torpedo and means whereby said devices are permitted to operate upon the buoyancy changing means only when the speed of the torpedo falls below a predetermined limit and when at the same time the depth of the torpedo is not less than a predetermined amount. y

3. In an automobile torpedo, the combination with a device for controlling the buoyancy of the torpedo so as to change from normal negative buoyancy to positive buoyancy at the end of a practice run, of a member movable .in accordance with the speed of the torpedo during the run, a member movable in accordance with the depth of the torpedo, and means interposed between said members and said device whereby the .latter is operated to effect the change from negative buoyancy to positive buoyancy only when said members both occupy predetermined positions at the same time.

4. In an automobile torpedo, the combination with a device for controlling the buoyancy of the torpedo so as to change from normal negative buoyancy to. positive buoyancy at the end of a practice run, of a spring controlled member so arranged in contact with the surrounding water as to be operated by the pressure due to the passage of the torpedo through the water, a spring controlled member yso arranged in contact with the water as to be moved by static pressure due tothe depth of the torpedo beneath the surface of the water and means interposed between said members and said device whereby the latter is operated to effect the change from negative buoyancy to positive buoyancy'only when said members both occupy predetermined positions at the same time.

5. In an automobile t0rpedo,'the combination with a device for controlling the buoyancy of the torpedo so as to change from normal negative buoyancy to positive buoyancy at the end of a practice run, of a spring controlled member so arranged in contact with the surrounding water as tobe operated by the pressure due to the passage of the'torpedo through vthe water, a'spring controlled member so arranged in contact with the water as to be moved by static pressure due to the depth of the torpedo beneath the surface of the water` and a lever interposed between said members and said device whereby the latter is operated to effect the change from negative buoyancy to positive buoyancy only when said members both occupy predetermined positions at the Vsame time. l Y Y 6. In an automobile torpedo, the combination with a device for controlling the buoyancy of the torpedo so as to change from normal negative buoyancy to positive buoyancy at the end of a practice run, of a spring controlled member so arranged in contact with the surrounding water as to be operated by the pressure due to the passage of the torpedo through the water, a spring controlled member so arranged in contact with the water as to be moved by static pressure due to the depth of the torpedo beneathV the surface of the water and a' floating lever arrangement interposed between said members and said device whereby the latter is 116 operated to effect the change from negative buoyancy to positive buoyancy only when said members both occupy predetermined positions at the same time. y

7. In an automobile torpedo, the combina- 120 tion with a practice head normally filled with liquid ballast, of a valve for controlling the admission of compressed air to said head for forcing out the liquid ballast so as toV change from normal negative buoyancy to positive buoyancy atthe end of a practice run, aY device movable under the influence of the speed of the torpedo during the run, a device movable under therinfluence of the depth of the torpedo and means whereby 1.0

said devices are permitted to operate upon said valve only when the speed of the torpedo falls below a predetermined limit and when at the same time the depth of the torpedo is not less than a predetermined amount.

8. In an automobile torpedo, the combination with a practice head normally filled with liquid ballast, of a valve for controlling the admission of compressed air to said head for forcing out the liquid ballast so as to change from normal negative buoyancy to positive buoyancy at the end of a practice run, a member movable in accordance with the speed of the torpedo during the run, a member movable in accordance with the depth of the torpedo, and means interposed between said members and said valve whereby the latter is operated to etl'ect the change from negative buoyancy to positive buoyancy only when said members both occupy predetermined positions at the same time.

9. In an automobile torpedo, the combination with means for changing from normal negative buoyancy to positive buoyancy at the end of a practice run, of a member movable in accordance with the speed of the torpedo during the run, and means whereby said member becomes connected to the buoyancy changing means at diiierent points dependent upon the maximum speed attained by the torpedo in any particular run.

10. In an automobile torpedo, the combination with means for changing from normal negative buoyancy to positive buoyancy at the end of a practice run, of a spring controlled member operated by the pressure due to the passage of the torpedo through the water and means whereby said member becomes connected to the buoyancy changing means at diierent points dependent upon the maximum speed attained by the torpedo in any particular run.

ll. In an automobile torpedo, the combination with a practice head normally filled with liquid ballast, of a valve for controlling .the admission of compressed air to said head for forcing out the liquid ballast so as to change from normal negative buoyancy to positive buoyancy at the end of a practice run, mechanism for operating said valve, a member movable in accordance withy the speed of the torpedo and means whereby said member becomes automatically connected to the said mechanism at di'erent points dependent upon the maximum speed attained by the torpedo in any particular run.

12. In an automobile torpedo, the combination with a practice head normally iilled with liquid ballast, a valve for controlling the admission of compressed air to said head for forcing out the liquid ballast so as to change from normal negative buoyancy to positive buoyancy at the end of a practice run, a floating lever for operating said valve, a member movable in accordance with the depth of the torpedo, said member operating on said lever, a member movable in accordance with the speed of the torpedo and means whereby the last mentioned member becomes automatically connected to said lever at different points dependent upon the maximum speed attained by the torpedo in any particular run.

WILLIAM HORACE SODEAU. VICTORY PURDY FRANCOMBE. 

